The next wave

The study is an “excellent example of the next wave of research into the effects of ocean acidification”, says Geraint Tarling at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, UK. Researchers are now going beyond simply documenting which species are vulnerable to acidification, he says, and instead asking why and when the problems will emerge.

The findings suggest a way for commercial oyster hatcheries to intervene and boost their stocks&colon; adding a chemical buffer to increase seawater pH levels during the crucial first few days of oyster growth.

That kind of intervention is more difficult in the wild, although reducing coastal pollution can dampen the effects of acidification. “Ultimately, reducing carbon dioxide emissions is needed,” he says.